Freshman quarterback Kenny Potter (San Pedro HS, pictured) threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns for the third time in four starts this season but it wasn't enough as the Long Beach City College football team fell 42-28 at Riverside City College on Saturday.
The National Central Conference loss dropped the Vikings to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play while Riverside kept its perfect record intact at 5-0 and 2-0.
Long Beach trailed 21-7 at halftime and then, after he second-half opening kickoff, drove 78 yards over 11 plays to get within seven points with Potter's three-yard touchdown run.
But the Vikings would get no closer.
The Tigers responded with a long 86-yard drive of their own. Kenny Torrence hauled in his second touchdown pass of the game, this time for 31 yards, to give RCC some breathing room at 28-14 at the 6:51 mark in the third.
A turnover on the next drive by the Vikings led to seven more RCC points. Backup quarterback Christian Smith (St. Bernard HS) tossed an interception deep in LBCC territory to setup a 29-yard touchdown run by Denzel Foster. A seven point deficit quickly turned into a 21-point hole that the Vikings couldn't get out of.
But the Vikings were still in the game. Potter returned to the field and tossed a 40-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Mikail Parr (Serra HS) to once again get to within 14 points at 35-21 with 4:07 to go in the third.
Any hopes of a LBCC comeback were quickly squashed as Riverside's Sam Boyd took the ensuing kickoff from two yards within his end zone and returned it all the way for a 100-yard touchdown.
Potter added one final touchdown pass to freshman Josiah Blandin (Poly HS) from 29 yards out to close out the scoring. A pair of late fourth-quarter interceptions off backup quarterback Brock Dale (Lakewood HS) sealed the victory for the Tigers.
Fresh off their 71-0 win over LA Harbor last week, the Tigers totaled 682 yards of offense on the Vikings, including 468 yards rushing.
But the LBCC defense had its moments. The Vikings forced RCC fumbles on their own one-yard line and 25-yard line to halt potential Tiger scores.
Potter closed him game completing 21 of 30 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran 15 times for 60 yards and touchdown.
Parr had a big game for the Vikings, catching eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Blandin also caught six passes for 91 yards and a TD.
Terance Harvey (Inglewood HS) led the Vikings defense with 11 tackles (5 solo) and also added an interception while Marquis Lomax (Narbonne HS) added 10 tackles (8 solo).
LBCC returns to action next Saturday (Oct 12) when it hosts Santa Ana College in a 6 pm conference game.
Photo by Mike Leone